Chapter 63: Play for a Little Longer
Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Play for a Little Longer
In that instant.
The world around him seemed to slow down.
It was as if someone had pressed an invisible slow-motion button.
Wang Xi had an illusion.
He felt like a tiny insect caught in a vast black net, trapped at the center of the dark threads, sinking deeper and deeper.
Unable to move, with nowhere to hide.
The black net was closing in, tightening—
The whistling in his ears was incessant.
CLANG!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
Wang Xi entered a peculiar state.
His thoughts could no longer keep up with the speed of the black balls. He could only rely on his body’s instincts to react in time.
There was only the Beheading Sword in his hand.
Only with it could he meet the bombardment head-on.
The black balls flew faster and in greater numbers, and Wang Xi’s speed increased to match. Though he wasn’t moving from his spot, he became a blur of afterimages.
At a glance, he seemed to be making three or four different movements in a single second, parrying from various angles and directions.
His sword flashed, sending sparks flying.
The violent impact of the black balls sent powerful vibrations through the blade. Every single ball that tried to hit him was, without exception, parried by the wide back of the Beheading Sword and deflected away.
Wang Xi wasn’t just showing off.
He had been quietly growing stronger in the Fairy Tale Otherworld, but he still didn’t have a clear idea of his own capabilities.
So he had been looking for an opportunity.
A chance to test himself.
Now.
That chance had arrived.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG...
The high-frequency, metallic ringing echoed throughout the arena.
The six geniuses, the other examinees, the Examiners, the viewers in the livestream, and the high-ranking officials outside the venue all fell silent as they watched.
They were gradually realizing something.
They were stunned.
Looking back at his previous performance, and now seeing him calmly handle the saturation fire from all the dummies with just one sword...
This young man named Wang Xi...
He seemed to be enjoying it.
Enjoying the examination.
However, what no one knew was...
’I’m about to reach my limit.’
A flicker appeared in Wang Xi’s otherwise impassive eyes.
After nearly a minute of parrying, he had finally touched his limit. Not his physical stamina, but the limit of how his strength, speed, and Swordsmanship could coordinate.
But the dummies’ barrage of black balls continued, constantly increasing in speed and frequency.
WHOOSH—
A black ball finally broke through the Beheading Sword’s defense and, like a heavy black fist, slammed into Wang Xi’s face!
BAM!!
The entire arena was in an uproar.
"He missed a block!"
The examinees cried out in alarm.
"He’s not wearing any protective gear, and it hit him right in the head!"
The black balls had enough power to shatter bone, and this one was a direct hit to a vital spot on his face... If it had been any other examinee, including the six seeded contestants, there would have been only one outcome.
Death!
The faces of two Examiners changed, and they were about to leap down to save him.
But Shi Bo suddenly put out a hand to stop them.
"Brother Bai! He’s a once-in-a-generation genius for our Valley City!"
A young Examiner said anxiously.
But Shi Bo said grimly:
"A Hero must be responsible for their own decisions. Once the examination begins, no one can interfere. If he dies, I will feel regret and sorrow, but I will never regret my choice."
The other Examiners were burning with anxiety, but they could only clench their fists.
Yes.
The rules could not be broken.
Not for anyone.
"He... He’s still standing!!"
An examinee shouted.
All eyes were on the young man. He had clearly taken a black ball to the head, yet he hadn’t even swayed. He stood motionless, like a stone pillar rooted to the ground.
His head, which had been knocked back, straightened up again.
The left side of his face, where he’d been hit, was now covered by a crystalline, azure substance... It looked like half of a sapphire mask!
It was this mask that had blocked the black ball for him!
"What kind of defensive Card is that?"
Yu Jiali stared at the young man and murmured.
"It looks a little familiar..."
"A Sugar Coating Card?" Xiao Yuzhe, who was standing beside her, seemed to have heard the short-haired girl’s whisper. He folded his arms and rubbed his chin. "During that disaster last month, someone pulled one from a Card Pool, but the color was different."
"Impossible." Yu Jiali shot him a glance. "The defensive power of a Sugar Coating Card is nowhere near that strong."
"Then I don’t know,"
Xiao Yuzhe smiled and shrugged.
"According to Federation law, a citizen’s private Universal Card deck is protected by absolute privacy. No one can pry into it."
In the arena.
The azure Sugar Coating on Wang Xi’s face faded away.
His eyes remained calm.
The defensive power of the 「Blueberry-flavored Sugar Coating (Ultimate)」 far exceeded his expectations. Boosted by the strengthening property of 「Bang Bang Candy」, this Two-Star White Card had actually allowed him to withstand the fatal impact of a black ball.
’Very good. Let’s continue.’
Wang Xi’s movements didn’t stop.
The curtain of silver-gray sword strikes continued to parry the black balls.
A short while later.
With a loud CLANGING, the four iron walls simultaneously opened, revealing exits and water outlets.
The dummies instantly stopped shooting.
"Hooo—"
Wang Xi let out a long breath that escaped from the corners of his mouth.
He leaned on his Beheading Sword, his slightly trembling hands resting on the hilt as he caught his breath.
Then, he shouted to his companions in the four corners:
"Quickly!!"
His roar echoed through the arena.
The other nineteen people jolted and immediately sprang into action.
The ground in front of them was covered in black balls, all deliberately deflected there by Wang Xi. The four squads had already identified the numbered balls hidden among the black ones, and once they started moving, they quickly collected most of them.
SPLASH! Gushing streams of water erupted from all sides.
It soon rose past their knees.
Wang Xi observed the environment, felt that time was about up, and immediately made a decision, shouting again:
"The next time the exits open, everyone evacuate!"
"Roger!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"No problem, Captain!"
Among the examinees in his batch, someone had called him "Captain," and the rest had followed suit.
It was as if they had unknowingly formed a team. All they had to do was unconditionally follow their captain’s orders.
The people on the high platform watched this scene in silence.
The other examinees couldn’t help but show looks of envy. What an honor it would be to be in the same batch as a "captain" like that.
"Incredible."
The middle-aged Examiner, Shi Bo, murmured.
The other Examiners beside him were also surprised.
They knew why Brother Bai was praising the young man. Because throughout the entire test, he was the only one who understood the true meaning of the examination.
Teamwork...
Led by a core figure, uniting the scattered examinees into a group to face the harsh environment together.
The person playing the leader’s role didn’t necessarily need overwhelming strength, but they had to possess exceptional decisiveness and judgment.
However, Wang Xi had achieved both.
And he had done so exceptionally well!
This batch of examinees in the arena, each carrying three or four numbered balls, was a bit flustered, but their performance was already excellent compared to the previous groups.
When the exits opened again, they helped each other, struggled through the rising water, and successfully climbed out.
But just then.
A slightly older man suddenly saw something, and without hesitation, he broke away from the group and swam frantically off to the side.
"Uncle Duan! What are you doing?!"
Someone cried out.
The man didn’t look back, swimming with all his might.
"My son is still waiting for me in the hospital! I... I have to become a Professional Warrior!"
He roared fiercely, dove headfirst into the water, and swam toward a black ball.
The black ball lay quietly at the bottom.
On its side was a crimson character: "K".
It was a ball worth 50 points!
Logically, the team had already collected enough numbered balls. Even if distributed evenly, everyone would get at least 20 points.
But the man knew in his heart that his score wasn’t enough, not nearly enough... His results from the first two tests were too poor. If he couldn’t get more points here, he would absolutely fail the examination.
He had to get that ball!
He had to!
But just as the man reached out, about to grab the ball...
SPLASH—
A massive, silver-gray figure glided over, a crimson trail flashing behind it, and opened its sharp-toothed maw behind him.
"?!"
The man sensed the danger, his pupils constricting.
But he gritted his teeth and resolutely grabbed the ball.
’Zhiqiang...’
’Dad did it!’
His face showed no ecstasy, only a tragic smile.
How could the man not understand that his recklessness and greed had led him into a fatal situation...
But even if he could do it all over again.
He would still do the same thing.
’A first-class citizen! Only a first-class citizen can make the hospital allocate its resources to us!’
CLANG!!!
Just then, a flash of sword light streaked past.
The man vaguely saw that the metal shark, which had been right upon him, was instantly beheaded!
The smooth cross-section revealed intricate wiring, sparkling with blue and purple electricity.
’I’m saved?!’
The next second, he felt a large hand grab his collar, and his entire body was lifted up and out of the water.
SPLASH!
The man choked violently in mid-air.
He looked down.
It was the young, black-haired man.
"Wang Xi... Captain!"
By now, the water had risen over three meters high. Because he had come to the rescue, the young man was now surrounded by four or five metal sharks!
The man’s face changed drastically as a powerful wave of regret and guilt washed over him.
"Uncle Duan!"
From above, two soaking-wet young men grabbed the man’s arms and struggled to pull him up.
Although he was saved, the man’s body went limp. He fell to his knees at the exit and broke down, sobbing with his head in his hands.
His shoulders trembled as he let out a cathartic howl:
"AAAAAHHH!!"
The people around him didn’t know the full story, but they could guess what had happened. Their expressions were complicated, a mix of resentment and worry in their eyes.
The captain was trapped underwater because he’d saved him...
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
Wang Xi held his sword with both hands, slashing away underwater.
The powerful resistance of the water weakened his strikes and drained his stamina rapidly.
He had just fought off two metal sharks when more figures glided in.
Without hesitation, Wang Xi decisively activated a Card.
—「Mud Howling Dark Frog」
In the blink of an eye, his pupils turned into yellow horizontal slits.
His mouth opened, releasing a stream of bubbles as he began breathing underwater. At the same time, he felt his body become slightly more buoyant, the resistance of the water lessening.
As his vision cleared, he saw no fewer than twelve metal sharks circling him, their crimson eyes leaving trails in the water.
’Well, since we’ve already set the mood...’
Wang Xi glanced around at the sharks, then at the numerous black balls resting on the bottom, and grinned.
’Guess I’ll play for a while longer.’